


I never knew just what it was about this old coffee shop I love so much

by GenimHale



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Future, Artist Derek, Barista Stiles, Birthday, Cute, Fluff, M/M, derek is a cutie, sterek
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-27
Updated: 2013-09-27
Packaged: 2017-12-27 19:29:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/982726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GenimHale/pseuds/GenimHale
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stiles starts working at a local coffee shop.</p>
<p>----</p>
<p>Stiles heard the door chime. He glanced up from where he was perched on the counter, book in one hand and a cappuccino in the other and his eyes fell on the new customer.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I never knew just what it was about this old coffee shop I love so much

**Author's Note:**

> My first AU and my first Sterek! 
> 
> Title from Landon Pigg - Falling In Love At A Coffee Shop

Working at _Cat’s Coffee House_ on a weekday was always slow. They weren’t exceptionally busy on weekends either, a few high school students would come and sip on their drinks while gossiping and a few elderly people would come and have a drink while they chatted but that was it. Weekdays had businessmen calling past at 8am to grab a caffeine boost on their way to the office and they had the regulars but that was it. In the week since Stiles had started on the job he’d grown accustomed to the quietness.   
Stiles had picked up the job after the summer holidays had drawn to a close. The majority of his year – Scott, Isaac, Allison, Lydia, hell, even Greenberg – had all gone off to college or somewhere else and he was the only graduate that remained in the quiet town of Beacon Hills. He’d decided to stay behind because he had no clue what he wanted to happen in his future so he didn’t see the point in rushing into anything in college. His job at the shop lasted 8am right through until 6pm every day. He could finish early on Fridays and Saturdays so he could go out, Cat had told him, but he didn’t really have any friends living in Beacon Hills anymore so he just worked the extra time to earn extra. Cat was a good boss; she usually left Stiles to manage the shop for himself, after nine but would return around four so she was there to help around peak times; other than that, she’d be out. When she was there, she wore her soft greying hair in a loose bun and when she laughed, a soft tinkling sound, her eyes creased. Cat knew everyone who entered the coffee shop and greeted each one with a smile as she made them their regulars, a habit Stiles was soon picking up. It wasn’t difficult, the customers never changed and neither did the majority of their orders.  
It was a particularly slow Wednesday morning when he came in. Stiles heard the door chime about half an hour after Cat had left. He glanced up from where he was perched on the counter, book in one hand and a cappuccino in the other and his eyes fell on the new customer. Stiles didn’t recognise him as a regular customer and from the way his eyes lingered on the menu, scanning it, Stiles could guess he hadn’t visited much, if at all. Stiles carefully marked his page before walking over to serve this mystery man. He was probably early 20s, taller than Stiles by a few inches and well built. He had a sharp jawline and high cheekbones, defined by the dark stubble covering his lower face. His hair was dark and thick eyebrows sat low above grey-green eyes, the colour of sea foam. Stiles cleared his throat before speaking.  
‘Hello, do you know what you want to order?’ he asked, finishing with a small smile.  
‘Americano. Black. Please,’ he added.  
‘Coming right up,’ Stiles said. ‘You can take a seat and I’ll bring it over to you,’   
‘Thank you,’ he paused and his eyes dropped to the name tag ‘Stiles,’ he said with a small nod as he walked away. Stiles’ allowed his eyes to rake his body as his back was turned. He was wearing a leather jacket and plain black jeans. As his eyes fell onto his butt, Stiles made an appreciative sound before quickly turning to the coffee machine in case he was caught looking.  
A few minutes later Stiles carried a steaming mug over to the table the man had sat down at. The table just so happened to be in direct eye from the counter Stiles noted with a grin.   
‘Here you go. If you want anything else, let me know,’ Stiles said, placing the drink down. He was thanked with a nod.   
When Stiles hopped back onto the counter and picked up his book, Mystery Man had pulled a pad out of the leather case he’d been carrying along with a pencil. Stiles watched him from behind his book as his hand moved across the page quickly. From here, Stiles couldn’t exactly tell what he was doing but he guessed it was sketching. He looked like an artist.  
Over the next few weeks, Mystery Man – Derek as he had told Stiles – visited every day. He’d stay for an hour and draw. And each day he’d ordered the same thing, a black Americano.  
‘That’s so boring!’ Stiles exclaimed one day and Derek raised an eyebrow without saying anything. ‘I mean you’ve ordered the same thing every day since you first came here and it’s one of the plainest coffees we sell!’  
‘I like Americanos,’ Derek stated.  
‘You don’t even consider trying something new?’ Stiles questioned. ‘Surely something must catch your eye,’ Derek shook his head.  
‘Fine then. How about you let me make you something and I’ll charge you normal?’   
‘Alright then Stiles,’ Derek sighed with a small smile as he handed over the money. Stiles gave him the change and he went to his usual table as Stiles prepared the drink.

‘Here you go,’ he said, placing the coffee in front of Derek, who picked it up and had a sip.  
‘This – this is really good. What is it?’ Derek asked, taking another sip.  
‘Hazelnut,’ Stiles smiled. ‘Anyway, if you want anything else, let me kn –‘  
‘Do you want to sit down?’ Derek cut him off  
‘Um, well, I’m the only one working…’ he trailed off.  
‘You’ll hear if anyone comes in,’ Derek pointed out.  
‘Touché. Sure why not?’ Stiles shrugged and sat down opposite him. And they talked.

Stiles told him how he hadn’t known what he wanted to do yet so he’d found a job to earn some money so that when he was ready, he could do what he wanted. In turn Derek told him he was an artist but yet to make any money from his work. Stiles considered asking how he made money but refrained, figuring Derek would tell him if he wanted to. When four rolled around and Cat returned, she smiled, seeing Stiles talking animatedly to the man who had his head down, sketching as he listened. Stiles got up to help her but she insisted she was fine and made him sit back down since Stiles hadn’t really taken a break since he’d started on the job. At 6pm Derek stayed behind to help them stack the chairs before they parted ways. Stiles didn’t notice but that was when Derek began to stay right though until closing time.  
Now each day, Derek would greet Stiles with a smile and Stiles would respond with a wave just before nine. Stiles would make another creation of his for Derek and take it over to the table he always sat at. When it quietened down, Stiles would join Derek at the table with a drink in his hand and they’d talk. Stiles figured out that Derek didn’t really talk much but he didn’t seem to mind Stiles chattering away while he drew. Stiles ended up telling him more than he realised. He spoke about Scott and Allison. He talked about his epic crush on Lydia who had been in a relationship with Jackson for the past 3 years. He touched on the subject of Danny whom he’d also had a crush on but that was slightly more secretive and Danny had also been in a good relationship for a while now. The majority of the stories were things Stiles had done when he was younger. How he and Scott were always trying to solve his dad, the Sheriff’s, cases which landed them in trouble numerous times. Derek would smile and laugh occasionally at Stiles’ accounts and sometimes he would look at Stiles as he talked, always accompanied with over-the-top hand motions, something he found difficult to stop even after his ADHD brain had been slowed down with the caffeine. Other days, Stiles would read and Derek would draw – Derek always drew – in a comfortable silence.   
The days grew shorter and colder as the year progressed steadily. Leaves on the trees turned orange and crisp and the wind blew them off the trees. It was one day in mid-October that Derek came up to the counter with a smile in his eyes though his facial expression remained neutral. Stiles regarded him with a suspicious look.   
‘Can I have a hazelnut cappuccino and a caramel latte please?’ he ordered.  
‘Alright, anything else?’ Stiles asked with confusion.  
‘Um, which of the cakes would you recommend?’ he asked. Stiles thought for a few seconds.  
‘Well the chocolate fudge cake is amazing! But I think you’d probably prefer something like red velvet,’ Stiles decided.   
‘Well can I have a slice of each please?’   
‘Someone joining you?’ Stiles asked as he cut a slice from each cake.  
‘Sort of,’ he replied vaguely.  
‘That’s $13.55 please,’ Stiles said, putting the drinks and cake onto a tray. Derek paid and walked over to his table.  
Stiles perched on the counter like he used to and opened his book. A few minutes later Derek reappeared.  
‘Aren’t you coming over?’ he asked puzzled.  
‘Sorry, I thought someone was joining you?’ Derek laughed and walked away, leaving Stiles to follow behind him.   
At the table were the drinks and cake that Derek had just ordered but in the fudge cake was a single lit candle.   
‘Happy Birthday!’ Derek smiled as Stiles grinned.  
‘How did you - ?’   
‘You mentioned it once or twice,’ Derek said, pulling out the chair for Stiles to sit down. Once they were both seated, Stiles grinned once again before squeezing his eyes shut and blowing out the candle, while making a wish. Derek slid a wrapped package and card across the table to Stiles.  
‘I didn’t really know what to get you so I took a chance,’ he admitted. Stiles unwrapped the present to find two books and a Star Wars box set. He knew he’d mentioned his love of Star Wars to Derek before but he hadn’t expected him to remember.  
‘Thanks! This is brilliant! We should totally watch this at some point!’ Stiles exclaimed.  
‘Yeah that would be nice,’ Derek smiled. Next Stiles opened the card. It was a plain card saying happy birthday but tucked inside the card was a watercolour drawing on stiff paper. The drawing was of a wolf and Stiles ran a finger over the lines.  
‘This is amazing!’ he said slowly. ‘Thank you!’  
They ate and drank while talking and Derek kept looking at Stiles instead of drawing as usual. And at the end of the night they hugged outside the door after he thanked Derek again. Neither of them could decide whether the warmth they felt after was because of the cold autumn air or something else entirely.  
***  
‘Can I see what you’re drawing?’ Stiles asked one day and Derek glanced up.  
‘Why?’ he asked  
‘Well you’re always drawing; I just wonder what it is you draw,’   
‘Oh it’s nothing really, just stupid doodles,’ he brushed it off.  
‘Can I see them? That wolf you drew me was amazing,’ he insisted.  
‘I’m not sure, they’re really nothing special,’ Derek said.  
‘Please?’ Stiles begged, unsure as to why Derek didn’t want to show him. Reluctantly, Derek slid the sketchbook over to Stiles before dropping his eyes to where his fingers drummed on the table.   
Stiles opened the book to the first page. It was a good drawing, a simple drawing of the street outside but unfinished. Stiles turned the page and tried to cover up the gasp. There, on the page, was a detailed drawing him. He was perched on the counter reading his book and holding his drink. As he kept turning pages he saw unfinished drawings followed by completed drawings of him. There were about 10 unfinished sketches before they stopped and the rest were just Stiles. You could see clearly when Stiles had begun sitting with Derek, the drawings became more detailed sketches of his upper half rather than simple body shots from when he’d been over by the counter or cleaning tables. Some pages had writing underneath in neat italics. Stiles read a few, lyrics from a song he’d guessed.  
 _I never knew just what it was about this old coffee shop_  
I love so much  
All of the while, I never knew  
All of the while, all of the while,  
it was you 

‘Do you mean this?’ Stiles said after a pause. Derek hesitated before nodding.   
‘I – ‘ Stiles broke off, unable to find the words he wanted to say.  
‘It’s fine, I didn’t mean to freak you out but you just intrigued me and I didn’t mean for it to happen,’  
‘Shut up Derek,’ Stiles said and he looked hurt. ‘I’m sorry. It’s just; I don’t know what to say. But I like you; I like you a lot,’   
Their eyes connected as they both looked up. A small smile spread across Derek’s mouth and was mirrored on Stiles’ face. As they leaned in their lips brushed together across the table. Stiles’ cheeks flushed pink when they pulled back. Their hands linked and rested together on the table and Cat chose that precise moment to arrive back. She took one look at the two of them and smiled.  
‘Stiles, why don’t you take the rest of that day off?’


End file.
